


Up High, No One Can Break Us

by masterroadtripper



Series: Love Makes the World a Better Place [2]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Dancing and Singing, F/M, Injury Recovery, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 02:16:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13847976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masterroadtripper/pseuds/masterroadtripper
Summary: The fire changed Phillip.  He's getting better, but it will take time.This is part of my "Throw Away The Typical" series.  It takes place during/after chapter 7 of Throw Away The Typical.  It is not necessary to read Throw Away The Typical beforehand, but if you have the time, this chapter will make more sense with it.





	1. Chapter 1

The show had gone spectacularly. Even the new German boy, Soren, had performed on the trapeze with some grace and minimal mistakes.

As usual, after every show, he gathered up the crew behind stage, just to say good job, to show that he really appreciated all their hard work. He did, he recognized all the work these people put into the show and wanted them to know that they were humans, not just means to an end.

“Great performance today guys,” he said, surveying the group that had gathered. From his position with Anne’s soft, warm hand clasped in his, he felt unbeatable. He could rule the world with the most wonderful woman at his side.

The majority of the crew were out of their costumes and were bundled in robes or oversized shirts and pants. He knew the feeling. After performing in his tight red jacket and black pants, sweating rivers, it felt good to wear loose fabrics. Unlike the rest of the performers, at the moment, he was still mostly clad in his ringleaders garb. The hat and cane had been left in the ring, but now he had started to unbutton his red jacket.

Ever since the fire, Phillip always buttoned all his shirts to the top button and kept his sleeves rolled down. All the crew, with the exception of their newest trapeze performer, knew what lay under his thick shirts to some extent. Anne was the only one who had seen him shirtless after the fire. And it was not like he was trying to hide anything from his circus family, he just hated the look of the scars twisting up his arms, chest and neck. He hated how they rubbed against his skin, how he could barely feel the touch of his dear Anne late at night. So he hid them, kept them covered. Out of sight, out of mind and all that.

But tonight was different. He was floating on a cloud of endorphins, brain on another planet as he complimented all the crew. While complimenting Lettie on her amazing vocal riffs, he shrugged out of the red coat and placed it on a box behind him. Now that his arms were more free to move, Phillip found it apt to add gestures to his narration of the show.

But with almost twenty warm bodies in the back room it started getting warm and Phillip started unbuttoning the few top buttons of his thin white shirt to free his sweaty skin and cool off. When he made to address the newest member of their team, the young German boy, he noticed he wasn’t listening.

“Soren,” Phillip said, repeating the youths name once again to gain his attention. The boy, wrapped in a large beige shirt, snapped his head up and looked directly into his eyes, as if deliberately avoiding the rest of his recently revealed scared body.

“Yes sir?” The boy asked.

“Congratulations on your first show kid,” he said watched as Soren did an awkward half bow from where he sat on his box. The kid was not as coordinated as Phillip would have liked to take the place of Anne on the trapeze, but he seemed to be learning quickly with the help of W.D.

“Since tomorrow is Saturday, we are running a matinee and night show,” Phillip continued, “so get some rest guys. I’ll see you for a quick practice tomorrow morning.” Dismissing the crew for the night, he watched as they grabbed bits and pieces of show equipment and put them back for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the final part of the scene from Anne's perspective

Anne was amazed when she saw Phillip unbuttoning the first few buttons of his white shirt. He had improved since the fire, his movements were now more deliberate. The grace he had in every limb of his body when they first met was slowly returning and he shied away from her touch less and less often.

But when he saw an open fire down by the docks that a peddler had lit, she would watch him visibly tense up and pale.

 

After dismissing the crew for the night, Anne pulled her wonderful fiancee towards the performance ring.

“What are you doing?” He asked. Even her dear Phillip’s poor voice had been wrecked the day he ran into the burning building to find her. He could still sing, but he needed to take breaths more often and the raspiness behind it seemed to never fade.

_When everyone tells us what we can be._

Anne started singing. Un-looping the trapeze rope from its place in the corner of the tent, Anne gave it a hard tug to make sure the counter support sandbags were working.

_How can we rewrite the stars?_

Using the rope, she held on tight and was pulled into the rafters. From her position, she could see her darling Phillip standing on the ground, right hand absentmindedly rubbing over the left. The left side of his body was scared the worst, and on some days, he could barely move his arm.

_Say that the world can be ours._

Anne sung, swinging the rope down. When Phillip caught it with his right hand, she wondered if he would finally join her in the rafters. But he instead stood there, holding it, staring at it like it would somehow hurt him.

_Tonight, all I want is to fly with you_

Anne gracefully swung down from the rafters to beside Phillip.

_All I want is to fall with you._

Reaching out to touch his arm, Anne felt a punch of guilt in her gut watching him flinch and pull away from her touch.

_So just give me all of you._

She slowly moved her hand up his scared arm and Anne could see how he was fighting either pain or fear to lean into the touch when he finally sung back her heart felt like it may explode

_It feels impossible._

His voices sounded hoarse from the show. Kissing him quickly, Anne replied in song

_It’s not impossible._

Watching all the fear and pain in his eyes that he had been hiding since the fire, Anne heard him rasp.

_Is it impossible? Say that it’s possible._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anything else you want to see based on Throw Away The Typical can be recommended in the comments.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to MmmNutella for requesting this, I hope this is the scene you wanted fleshed out a little.


End file.
